


Haunted

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: A Million Lights [7]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cursed Hyperion Heights, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Family Bonding, Family Drama, Ghosts, Haunted Houses, Headaches & Migraines, Hyperion Heights, Lighthouses, Mild Language, Multi, Swearing, Threesome, Threesome - F/F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-29
Packaged: 2019-08-06 08:23:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 10,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16384622
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: In the month leading up to Halloween and their family trip down the Oregon Coast, strange things begin to affect Roni.  Can her family save her before it's too late?





	1. Behind the Mask

**Author's Note:**

> Date Written: 22-28 October 2018  
> Word Count: tbd  
> Written for SpookyOQ 2018  
> Prompt: Day 1 - Mask  
> Summary: In the month leading up to Halloween and their family trip down the Oregon Coast, strange things begin to affect Roni. Can her family save her before it's too late?  
> Spoilers: Canon divergent AU of S7 where Robin didn't actually die and both he and Maleficent come to Hyperion Heights in the curse. This piece is nebulously set in the same year as the "Feeling Alive" and "you give a beggar like me a royal life."  
> Warnings: No standard warnings apply.  
> Series: A Million Lights  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: This is going to be a labor of love for me. It will end up involving my favorite haunted lighthouse, Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, and the ghost story built around it. I have intimate knowledge of some of the ghosts that haunt this lighthouse and will be sharing some of that information in this fic. Please just give it a chance?
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as usual…
> 
> Beta: Not yet, but if you see something I've missed, please let me know?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I know that this chapter kind of loosely uses the prompt of "mask", but it's more for setting up the issues coming up in the fic for Roni and her family.

Roni steps into the loft to hear the loud squeals that indicate Danny being tickled. She wonders who it is that has him trapped, even as she rubs at her temples in a vain attempt to stave off the latest migraine that's sent her scurrying upstairs and away from the bar. 

"Sunny, no!"

Well, that explains that. She takes a deep breath and heads toward the source of the laughter. The more Danny squeals and laughs, the more her head pounds until she's biting her tongue to keep back the scream. He doesn't do this often, and he doesn't understand how bad her migraines are. And she is reluctant to try to contain his exuberance and curiosity.

"Roni!" he crows as she stands in the doorway of his bedroom. "Help me! Save me! The Sunny monster got me!"

She offers him a small smile, amused by the way that he and Mal are both red-faced in their enjoyment. They share a closeness that she doesn't have with Danny. Mal has always brought out his rambunctious side, or maybe he brings it out in her. Roni's not sure; she just knows that they're good for each other.

"Have you given the Sunny monster raspberries? You know raspberries are her weakness."

His face lights up and he turns to face Mal, fingers curling into wiggly claws. She feigns fear, blue eyes wide and mouth dropping open. "Prepare to meet your doom, Sunny monster!" He would sound more convincing if he wasn't giggling so hard.

"No!" Mal replies in a high-pitched voice. "Please, Sir Danny! I can be good!"

Danny pauses, tilting his head to the side to study her. He glances back at Roni, who returns her smile just in time for him. She cannot let him see that she's not feeling well. She can wait until the game is done and he hopefully settles for the nap Mal was already supposed to have put him down for. She blinks, stomach swooping suddenly as her head throbs. Letting out her breath slowly, she lets her eyes drift shut again.

"Roni?"

"Babe, you okay?"

The worry in their voices upsets her, and the tears fall. She can't speak for a moment, overwhelmed by… _everything_. She focuses on her breathing, on the technique Rob had taught her about breathing in calm and breathing out the pain. She distantly hears the front door open and close again, thinks she hears Rob's voice, as if he's been summoned home by her need.

"Papa!" Danny's voice is loud, piercing in his fear. "Roni's sick."

She can't make out Rob's response, gripping the doorframe more tightly to stay upright. And then arms are around her waist, holding her up from behind. She hears more of that rumbling sound she associates with Rob's voice. The warm, gentle touch of Mal's lightly callused fingers stroke along her cheek briefly, and she sags back into what she hopes is Rob's chest.

In the space between one breath and the next, darkness overwhelms her.

When reality intrudes upon her once more, everything is dark and cozy. She can feel the gel pouch conforming to the back of her neck against the pillow, but there's something covering her face. She moans softly and reaches up to feel smooth, cool satin over her eyes.

"Leave it, love," Rob says softly, and she feels the tears pricking in her eyes at the ability to understand his words again. "You're still peaked, so I know that migraine's still kicking your arse."

"Feel like hell," she whispers.

"I know. That's why you have the gel pack and the eye mask."

"Danny?"

"Sleeping with Mal in his room. He wanted to be here with you, but we convinced him that you'd get better faster if he took his nap like he's supposed to."

"Didn't mean to scare him."

"You scared all of us, but we'll get past it. You should have said something, Roni. And I think it's time you see your doctor about these migraines. They're coming more frequently and getting worse."

She shakes her head gingerly, wincing at the pain lancing behind her eyes. "Just the weather fucking with me." She doesn't dare tell him about the nightmares that have heralded the migraines. No one would believe her if she did. "Just need to let fall settle in better, that's all."

"Roni…"

"I promise, Rob, it's just this stupid yo-yoing pressure front."

He's quiet for a long moment, then leans in to kiss her forehead. "All right, love, but if it continues past this next week, you're going to the doctor."

"Deal."

She no more than gets the word out and she passes out again.


	2. Hell on Earth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's a week later and Roni's migraines haven't gotten any better. In fact, they've gotten worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I still am loosely using the prompts here, but it's starting to get some setup here that you'll need down the line...

It's a week later and Roni's migraines haven't gotten any better. In fact, they've gotten worse. On Thursday night, Rob takes her to the ER because she's so ill, she can't even keep any meds down to help with the migraine. It takes quite some time for her to be seen, and Rob holds her the whole time as she cries and shudders through bouts of dry heaving. Once back in a room, she curls up on the bed and he spoons his body around hers. She's clammy and limp in his arms when not wracked with shivers.

"Sir, you can't be in bed with the patient," the nurse says as he steps into the room to check on Roni.

"You lot won't give her anything for the pain and nausea," Rob replies, grip tightening slightly around his partner. "She's terrified and hurting, and I refuse to sit by and do nothing to help calm her."

The nurse, whose nametag says _Dave_ , sighs and shakes his head. "Look, I'm sorry your wife's in pain. We're waiting on the results of her blood and urine tests to determine she's not pregnant first."

"She's not bloody pregnant, you git. She's had migraines almost constantly for nearly two weeks and they've been downright debilitating this past week. She needs pain medication."

The nurse nods and checks Roni's pulse. "I know. We're going as fast as we can. I think they're planning on a CT scan, too, just to rule out anything major. I know her doctor, so I put in a call to have him come down, too. As soon as he's here and we get those results, we'll get the pain meds."

"Once she has the meds, I'll move from this bed, not a moment before."

***** 

Roni hovers in a place that is mostly unfamiliar; it's only familiar because she's found herself here in her pre-migraine nightmare auras for a couple of weeks now. She knows she's asleep at the moment; the medication caused it, and she's grateful for the lack of pain, but she hates that it takes her control away. And _he_ is in her dreamscape and now she's trapped here in this hellacious place with this man who makes her worst nightmares seem like parties. He stalks her in her nightmares, taunts her with his demands she call him _Captain,_ and demands that she use her magic to release him from the purgatory prison that he's in. She fights him every time, telling him that she has no magic, that magic isn't real, until she wants to scream. Usually she wakes up when he reaches for her in his escalating anger, but this time is different. The meds have taken away her easy ability to wake from the nightmares, so she's trapped in this place with shadowy corridors and the overwhelming stench of rotting seaweed.

And so she runs in circles, trying to find a way out of this hell, with his terrifying laughter following behind her.

*****

By the time Rob gets Roni back to the loft, it's nearly dawn. Mal is still awake, sitting on the couch and looking like hell. She follows Rob as he carries Roni into the bedroom. They work in tandem to undress Roni and tuck her under the covers before either speaks.

"What happened?" Mal's voice is rough with emotion. "Is she gonna be okay?"

"I hope so. They did a CT scan, but her brain's fine. She's not pregnant either, by the way."

" _Pregnant_? What the fuck, Rob?"

He shrugs. "They had to do the test before they could do the damned scan. Her doctor did come down to check on her in the process. Roni's got this killer shot that finally let her sleep, and I have a prescription for some heavy duty pain killers and sleeping pills to help her sleep when these kick in again. She has an appointment on Monday for some more options."

"Whatever it takes to get her better, I'm here for it." Mal leans over to kiss Roni's forehead, then kisses Rob. "You should get some sleep. I can cover the bar and get Danny off to school tomorrow. You stay up here with our girl and we'll go from there for the weekend."


	3. Potato in a Jacket

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something gets trapped in Danny's room and it's up to Roni to get it out ...until it terrifies her, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you can name the source of the title of this chapter _without googling it_ , you get a ficlet of your choice from me.

"Roni!" Danny runs into the bathroom, eyes wide with fear. "There's something in my room!"

She glances up from the tub, grateful for the bubbles covering her nakedness. "There's nothing in your room, handsome. Go back to sleep."

He trembles and wraps his arms tighter around his stuffed monkey pressed against his body as he looks out the door, shaking his head. "It flies and won't let me sleep."

Today is the first day without one of her debilitating, nightmare-induced migraines since her trip to the ER with Rob, and she's been taking it easy. Mal is downstairs running the bar with Syl while Rob is chaperoning an overnight camp for the local Girl Scout troop over outside Everett. He hated the idea of leaving Roni alone tonight, but Mal promised to keep an eye on both her and Danny, as the Girl Scout gig can prove a lucrative one for him in the long run.

"Danny, it's probably just a moth. Remember those big white moths we saw a couple weeks ago? I bet one got in your room when we had the windows open today. It's just trying to get outside again."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, handsome. Go back to bed, and I'll come make sure it's gone when I get out of the bath, all right?"

Danny nods reluctantly. "Okay, Roni." He creeps closer to press a kiss to her cheek, which she easily returns. "Can, um, can I sleep in your bed with you tonight? I promise I'll go right to sleep."

She wants to be strong and have him return to his own bed, but she's feeling lonely tonight with neither of her loves at home. Caving isn't nearly as difficult as she expected it would be. "All right, but you have to promise to go right to sleep. No stories, no bouncing, no snacks. It's after your bedtime, young man."

"I promise, Roni. Thank you." He kisses her cheek again. "Love you big bunches."

"Love you bigger bunches, Danny. I'll come cuddle in a little while."

*****

The bath water is tepid at best when she finally pulls the plug and lets the tub drain. She shivers slightly as she steps out of the tub and dries off. Not for the first time, Roni finds herself grateful for the heated towel rods she let Mal install for her as a surprise anniversary gift about ten years ago. Not only is her towel toasty warm, so are her pajamas. The flannel pants and her tank top conform to her body, and the hoodie surrounds her in a cocoon of warmth. Thick slipper socks complete her outfit and she runs a pick through her hair before checking on Danny. The boy is sprawled out in the middle of her king-sized bed, every bit his father's son, but thankfully deeply asleep. She grabs her flashlight and heads down the hall to his bedroom, intent on luring the moth out with its beam. 

She can hear something fluttering in his room as she opens the door, but doesn't quite make out the location. His dim nightlight doesn't offer her enough illumination to make out anything in his room, but the light spilling in from the hallways _does_ highlight the shapes of his bed and dresser. She moves to step into the room, intending to close the door behind her to enable the flashlight to do its job, but movement makes her pause. She can hear something soft, sees movement coming toward her, and flicks on the flashlight to aim it up at what she assumes is the moth.

Except it's not a moth. It's much larger than any moth she's seen outside of a zoo. Before she can fully see it, the thing disappears. She wildly moves the flashlight around, trying to see it, but all she can do is keep catching a blur of movement flitting back and forth around the room. A small scratching noise alerts her to its presence to her left and, as she swings the flashlight up, she can see something brown and about the size of a fingerling potato coming at her. Tiny beady eyes and the smallest pinpricks of white make themselves known and she immediately slams the door closed, trapping it in Danny's bedroom. She finds a towel to stuff under the door before racing to her bedroom to close the door and burrow under the covers with Danny and his stuffed monkey.

*****

"Roni?"

She mumbles and shifts closer to Danny's warm little body in front of her, pulling the covers up over her head. She isn't ready to wake up yet, enjoying the lack of migraine pain.

"Come on, love. I just need to know why you blocked up Danny's room last night."

That voice is Rob. How late is it if he's already home? She grumbles softly and works her way out of the covers to blink groggily at him. "Wha-?"

He chuckles softly and strokes her cheek. "Danny's room? There's a towel under his door?"

"Something in there. Flying rat. Scared him, scared me."

"Ahh," he says with a grin, leaning over to press a kiss to her forehead. "Go back to sleep a little longer, love. I'll take care of it while Mal makes breakfast for all of us."

"Don't let it bite you," she mumbles, already drifting back to sleep. "Not enough garlic to fend off vampires now."

*****

Breakfast is lively, but not loud, Danny happily regaling them with what he and Roni did the night before. When he starts talking about the scary moth that Roni took care of, her cheeks darken at Rob and Mal's knowing chuckles.

"It wasn't a moth, my boy," Rob says, then turns and tries to catch Roni's eye. "Nor was it a flying rat, as Roni suspected, though that's closer."

"What was it, Papa?"

"There was a poor little brown bat stuck in your room all night."

Roni shudders and scowls into her coffee cup, but Danny gets excited. "Is it still there? Can I see it? I'm gonna name it Batty Koda!"

Mal ruffles his hair as she sits down with a second helping of pancakes. "Sorry, fey boy, but your papa and I managed to get it trapped in an old coffee can, then took it outside with a piece of fruit." When Danny pouts, she chuckles and takes a bite of her pancakes. After chewing and swallowing, she pats her phone on the table. "Don't worry, Danny, I managed to get a video of the whole thing, including when it ate some of the peach I put out there _and_ when it flew away. Your papa was very brave and the bat was very tired after flying around your room all night."

"But he's okay?"

"I have video of him flying away." 

As Danny's pout grows deeper, Rob clears his throat. "Danny, he's a wild animal and you know wild animals aren't pets. He was very tiny--"

"He was fucking huge," Roni mutters under her breath.

"He was very tiny, Roni," Rob says with a smirk, "and you owe fifty cents to the swear jar for that."

"Fifty cents? It was _one_ word, Rob."

"But it was one of the bad ones and there was no reason for you to say it."

"Fine." She returns to her meal with a scowl.

Rob chuckles and strokes her shoulder. "But I tell you what, Danny. We'll keep an eye out to make sure Batty Koda doesn't come back, okay? And maybe we can buy a kit to build a bat house." Roni shudders again and his smirk grows bigger. "As long as Roni agrees, because we don't want to upset her by attracting more bats around here, right?"

"Okay, Papa. If Batty Koda comes back, we can build him a house."

Roni just rolls her eyes and keeps eating.


	4. Shot in the Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "He said if I tell, he'll take you away from me and Papa and Mal, and maybe keep you forever."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot thickens! LOL! And we _finally_ get Danny and Rob's last name, as well as Danny's full name. I'd toyed with keeping them as Locksley, but thought it was too cheesy, so I went with a variation that I liked. And Danny's name? Landon was my immediate thought when trying to get close to Roland, all the way back when I started this entire verse.

"Are you sure you're still good for this trip? We can postpone it until later in the year."

Roni grumbles and rolls her eyes. "I am not going to postpone this trip _again_ , Rob. I promised Danny the chance to go into a real lighthouse and I'm not going to break it because my fucking head wants to destroy me from the inside out."

"Quarter, Roni!" Danny singsongs from the living room, and Roni winces at getting caught.

"You're right, handsome," she replies and pulls a dollar from her pocket to slip into the jar. "I put in a dollar so the next three are already paid for, okay?"

"Okay! I can spend my swear jar money on our trip, right?" He looks over to her and Rob with such a sweetly hopeful look on his face, she can't help but nod. "Yay! I wanna get fun things for show and tell."

She moves over to settle on the floor with him, grabbing a pillow from the couch. "What kind of things do you want for show and tell?"

"Roni…"

She turns to look at Rob, can read the worry in his eyes, but she's _tired_ of dealing with these damned migraines and the associated nightmares and everything else that's been happening. She wants something good to focus on. "Rob, we're not postponing it unless my doctor flat out refuses and admits me involuntarily."

"You sick, Roni?"

"It's just my migraines, handsome," she says, kissing his forehead. "But I don't have one today, so we're good."

He hugs her tightly, snuggling closer to her, and whispers, "Good. It scares me when the scary man uses them to hurt you."

Roni frowns at that and leans back to study his face. "What scary man, Danny?" When Danny doesn't answer her and, in fact, returns very deliberately to his coloring, she starts to worry. "Danny, what scary man are you talking about?" She has a fleeting mental image of Orvilleson or one of his cronies bothering Danny, and she starts to see red. "Landon John Lachlyn, what scary man are you talking about?" She can feel Rob's stare as she uses the boy's full name, but doesn't back down from needing to know what's going on. She stares at Danny, watching as tears fill his eyes, guilt stabbing her in the chest for making him cry, and pulls him into a hug. "I'm sorry, handsome. Just please tell me about the scary man. Is it Tommy's papa?"

He shakes his head and snuggles closer. When he speaks, his voice is barely above a whisper. "He said if I tell, he'll take you away from me and Papa and Mal, and maybe keep you forever."

Roni's head shoots up to search for Rob's face, needing his reassuring calmness as her heart starts to pound in her chest. There's something to what Danny said that terrifies her and niggles at something in the back of her mind, like a forgotten memory almost.

"Nobody is going to take Roni from us, my boy," Rob says in that steady, calm tone of his that always makes everything feel better. He sits next to Roni, pulling them both into a hug as she shifts to settle between his legs, Danny still cradled to her chest. "She's going to be just fine, so you can tell us about the scary man. I'll protect you both and Mal, too."

It takes him a moment, but Danny slowly starts to explain himself. As he talks about the scary man in his own dreams, she feels her blood go cold. The man sounds like her shrouded captain, and she fights back the shudder of fear and revulsion. And then Danny says the words that chill her to the bone.

"He said I should call him C-Cap--"

"Captain?" Roni asks, cutting him off. "Danny, does he want you to call him Captain?" When he nods, she feels the blood drain from face. It can't be possible…

"Roni?" Rob asks. "Are you all right?"

She swallows heavily and fights the urge to run from the room, shaking her head. It takes a moment to say anything, to get anything past the lump in her throat. "Wh-What else did he say, Danny? What did he look like?" Danny shakes his head, fear filling his dark eyes. She knows that feeling well. "Where did you see him?"

"Bad dreams," he whispers. "My monkey keeps me safe. He can't get past my monkey, not even when he tries to grab me. H-He said when he takes you away, my monkey won't work, and he can take me away, too."

The breath freezes in her lungs at his words. She bought him that monkey the day she met him, the day she saved him from running out into traffic to get his balloon. He's been clinging to it more recently, insisting it stay with him. Now she knows why, and it upsets her more than she ever thought possible. She struggles to remain calm, but knows she _must_ for his sake. Rob must read her mind because he reaches over to grab the monkey that was lying next to Danny while he'd colored. She presses a kiss to the monkey's forehead once it's firmly ensconced in the boy's arms.

"Your monkey is powerful, Danny, if he can ward off the scary man in your bad dreams. I'm grateful that I picked the right one that day when I bought him for you."

Before she can say anything else, they all hear a loud noise down on the street. Maybe it's in the alley, she's not entirely sure. But it echoes throughout the loft, and she suddenly remembers the shadowy figure in her nightmares brandishing some sort of pistol at her. He'd used it as a threat to get her to use whatever magic he repeatedly swore she had to free him from his hellish purgatory. When that same loud bang sounds a second time, she jumps and starts to cry from the memory. It takes far too long for her to realize that Danny's also crying heavily, and she realizes that they're somehow sharing the same nightmares.

"He's here!" Danny cries out, trembling harder against her. "Don't let him take Roni, Papa!"

How in the hell can they be sharing nightmares when they've never discussed anything about them before? How does Danny know about the shadowy pirate -- she refuses to call him by the name he wants, going so far as to shorten it down to Cap -- that has been threatening her in each nightmare aura that's preceded her debilitating migraines of late? What does this damned specter want from them? She has no magic. Magic doesn't exist in the real world, just in fairytales and movies. Is she losing her mind? 

Maybe Rob's smart to want to postpone their trip. But why does each nightmare-induced migraine just make her more determined to go to the Oregon coast? What could possibly compel her to do this?

The telltale sound of police sirens goes great lengths to calming her, against all logic, and she can focus on the boy she loves as much as any child she could bear herself. She speaks slowly and softly, random nonsense that eventually turns into a little song about a powerful monkey who saves a little boy and his family from the bad guys. It's enough to calm Danny, and eventually he drifts off to sleep in her arms. She relaxes slightly, sagging into Rob's chest, but doesn't let go of Danny.

"You wanna tell me what that was all about, love?" Rob finally asks. She jumps at the sound of his voice, grateful that Danny still sleeps. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."

"I'm-- Can it wait until Mal's home and Danny's in bed?"

"Of course. Just relax now, love. I've got you both and you're safe. Nothing and no one is going to take you away from us."

As she rests her head against his chest, chin propped on top of Danny's head, she fervently prays that he's telling the truth.


	5. Road Trip Nightmares

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The section fully in _italics_ is Roni's nightmare.
> 
> Rob's vehicle is the 2006 Subaru Tribeca B9 in seacrest metallic green. It was purchased used when he and Maria discovered that Danny was coming.

"You're brooding again, Kitten."

Roni looks up with a frown. "No, I'm not."

"You know Syl and Mari will take good care of the bar. And Henry and Sabine are picking up shifts to make sure everything goes smoothly."

"I know."

Mal pulls her into a gentle hug, fingers lightly scratching at her scalp. Roni leans heavily into her body and sighs softly. "Is your head still bothering you? Do you need one of your pills?"

"No, it's not that, but I may nap on the drive down to Portland. If you and Rob think you can handle the driving and entertaining Danny. If not, I'll try to color with him or something."

"No, we've got it covered," Mal replies with a kiss to her forehead. "I charged up the iPad and filled it with his favorite movies and TV shows. I know how any kind of reading in the car upsets your stomach. And Danny will probably pass out before we're past Olympia anyway. I happen to know he was up late last night talking to his monkey."

Roni frowns at that, remembering Danny's explanation about his nightmares last week. "Was he upset?"

Mal strokes her cheek, having heard the story from her and Rob later that same night. "Not at all. He was laughing and joking about his monkey being afraid of getting his fur wet in the ocean."

That makes Roni laugh, eases some of the tension she's been carrying about the boy who took up residence in her heart from the moment they first met. He's her son in every respect but biology, and she'll fight to the death to keep him safe.

"Now that is a sound I like to hear!"

They turn as one to see Rob coming out the back door of the bar toward his Tribeca, a duffel bag in each hand. Smiles brighten both of their faces, but Mal doesn't let go of Roni just yet. He sets the bags in the back, adjusting things a bit before he turns to face the two of them.

"You two look awfully cozy. Can a poor man sneak in for a bit of love?"

Roni reaches for him, smile growing brighter as he nuzzles at her temple, scruff tickling her cheek. He repeats the motion with Mal, making her laugh softly. Roni drinks in the security that her family offers so freely. They keep her sane when she might otherwise have dived off the deep end years ago.

"Are we good to go yet?"

"Just need to grab the cooler, set the alarm, and lock up, then we're off on our adventure." He glances over at the car, where Danny is already settled in his car seat, watching something on the iPad. "It would appear someone else is already set to go. Get in the car, you two, and I'll be right back." He kisses them both before heading back into the building.

*****

They stop in Olympia for a caffeine break because Mal will be damned if she does a road trip without her beloved Dutch Bros. coffee. Roni gets an iced green tea Ray of Sunshine, prompting Mal to tease with, "How can you drink something iced this late in October, Kitten? Doesn't it make you colder?"

"Nope. Besides, that's what my hoodie's for."

"All right, does anyone need a potty break before we keep going?" Rob asks, glancing back at Roni and Danny in the backseat.

"He's out like a light," she replies with a smile, "just like I predicted. While we were waiting on our drinks, I turned off the iPad and took off the headphones. He's good for a while." She yawns suddenly, blushing a bit at the intensity of it.

"Sounds like you're going to join him soon, love."

Roni nods and sips at her tea. "Yeah, wake me around Portland when we stop for lunch? I can swap out with one of you at that point."

*****

 _She's in that shadowy place again, trying to get away from the overwhelming stench of rotting seaweed and a sickly sweet smell she can't quite place. She's running through the dimly lit corridors, can hear_ him _behind her. His boot heels echo around her, making it difficult to remember which corridors she's explored and which might still offer her the escape she craves. Even more than his boots, the sound of his laughter sends a chill down her spine._

_"You can run, poppet, but you can't hide. Come along now, girl, and accept your fate."_

_She keeps running, stumbling between one corridor and the next, breath coming in labored gasps. She trips suddenly as the ground gets slippery, falling into something soft and reeking of putrefaction. She screams and gags as she seeks the smiling rictus of a skeleton beneath her. Scrambling unsteadily to her feet as_ his _laughter seems to surround her, she comes across a ladder leading upward into a tunnel._

_Escape!_

_She takes the ladder as quickly as possible, plunging into utter darkness for a while before she notices a sliver of light above her. She moves faster and realizes it's a door. Hope fills her as she nears the door and her chance at freedom from the bastard haunting her nightmares. She grabs for the handle, slipping in the process to tumble down the long tunnel and lands in a pile of rotting corpses. Fighting to get out, she feels a foot holding her down, forcing her to drown in the sludge of who knows how many dead people._

_"I told you to accept your fate, girl,"_ he _says and holds out a hand to her. "Tap into your magic and release me from this prison and I'll let you live."_

_"I don't have magic!" she cries out, choking on the stench._

_"Then die knowing that your family will join you in hell soon enough."_

_"_ No! _Don't hurt them! Please don't hurt them!"_

_"You have until you reach my domain to make your choice, Regina."_

_"My name isn't Reg--" Her words are cut off by his boot pushing the slimy remains into her mouth, making her gag and throw up._

_"Remember your choice!"_

*****

The sudden upheaval of her guts pulls her from sleep. "Pull over!" she barely gets out from behind her hand. 

Luckily Rob can get them onto the shoulder and she's got the door open to throw up violently before he even fully stops the car. She sobs and gags as her body rebels against her, until she's just bringing up bile.

"Roni?"

She looks up to see both of her loves staring at her worriedly. Wiping away her tears, she takes the bottle of water Mal is holding out for her. She rinses out her mouth and takes a tentative sip. Glancing to her left, she's surprised that Danny is still completely asleep.

"What happened, love?" Rob asks her softly.

She closes her door and leans her head back on the headrest. "Where are we?"

"Just north of Vancouver," Mal replies, "but you didn't answer Rob's question."

"Nightmare. _He_ was there."

"You wanna--"

" _No!_ " she practically growls, shuddering at the memory. "Please, can we just drop it and keep going? I'd rather forget it ever happened." She sees Rob and Mal share a worried look, but neither fights her. She's never been more grateful for their compliance in her life. "In fact, I think I'd like to take over driving for a while, if neither of you mind."

"Are you sure? Your nightmares lately usually mean a migraine's coming."

"Then I'll drive until I can't." The words come out far sharper than she intends, and she takes a deep breath, scrubbing at her face. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't take this out on you. Just please let me drive for a little while? I really don't want to go back to sleep and end up there again. I promise I'll tell you if I'm not feeling well."

Rob sighs and nods, pulling forward a few feet, then he and Roni change places in the car. She sips at her water again once she's in the driver's seat, then tries a bit of her tea. Satisfied it won't come back up, she turns off the hazard lights and pulls out onto the freeway again to continue their journey. She knows very well that they'll make her talk about it eventually, and she'll cross that bridge when she gets to it, but for now, she just wants to drive and do something to take her mind off of it.


	6. Ghostly Encounter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now you get SOME details about the haunted lighthouse. The lighthouse in question is Yaquina Bay Lighthouse in Newport, Oregon. This is my absolute, hands down favorite lighthouse in the world. The legend discussed in this chapter is discussed [here](http://americashauntedroadtrip.com/yaquina-bay-lighthouse/) and [here](http://discovernewport.com/content/newports-haunted-lighthouse/758), among other places. It is _not_ the legend about Evan MacClure, but the other about Muriel Trevenard. I have intimate knowledge of this story and can assure you that, despite claims to the contrary, it is very real. I have personally dealt with Mariel [Muriel is incorrect] _and_ with Cap, the malevolent ghost that is haunting both Roni and Danny in this fic. Parts of Roni's reactions in this chapter as she goes through the lighthouse for the first time are based on my own, but I have taken some liberties to suit the fic.

"They say it's a haunted lighthouse," Mal says with a grin, waggling her eyebrows at Danny, who giggles. "Should we see if any ghosts are around this close to Halloween?"

"Yeah!" Danny exclaims, clutching his monkey close to his chest.

"Aren't _all_ lighthouses haunted though?" Rob asks, winking at them.

Roni just rolls her eyes and glances up the hill toward the white building with the red light tower. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse, the sign proclaims. For a second, she swears she can see a young woman in really old clothes standing to the right side of the house, pointing down the hill toward the bay. Roni swears there's something red staining the pale dress the girl wears. When she blinks and squints to get a better look, the girl disappears, but she swears she can hear a female voice saying _Mariel_. She shivers slightly, wondering if the girl is one of those SCA type people and ran off while she blinked, and gratefully leans into Rob's side when he wraps an arm around her. She dismisses the whispered word as a trick of her mind.

"You okay, love?" When she nods, he presses a kiss to her temple. "Do you want your hoodie? The breeze is a bit stiffer here, isn't it?"

"I'm fine. The walk up will get my blood pumping enough." She doesn't want any of them to know just how unnerved she feels at the moment, even as she knows her family will never let anything bad happen to her.

"Roni? Will you carry me?"

She turns to look at Danny, sees the fear lingering in his dark eyes so like her own, and knows he's trying to hide his fear. She glances back up toward the lighthouse again to judge the steepness of the climb, but freezes as she sees the dark form of a man in one of the upper windows. She can't make out any details about him, but she _knows_ with sudden clarity that this is _him_. Without thought, she leans down to scoop Danny into her arms, cradling him close as he shifts to get his monkey between them.

"He's here," he whispers in her ear so softly, she almost imagines it.

"I'll keep you safe, handsome," she whispers back and presses a kiss to his hair. "Your monkey and I won't let anyone hurt you, I promise."

"Kitten?"

She looks up to see Mal and Rob staring at them with matching worried expressions. Shaking her head, she manages a smile that doesn't _quite_ reach her eyes. "I think maybe we've told too many ghost stories leading up to Halloween. It'll be fine. His monkey and I will keep Danny safe from the ghosts."

Rob quirks a brow at her, and she knows he remembers the conversation with Danny about his bad dreams, the ones that matched what she herself has been having for nearly a month now. She honestly cannot wait for Halloween to be over and all this bullshit to finally end. He and Mal share a look, but smile at Danny, and he messes up his son's hair.

"Roni's right, my boy. She and your monkey are powerful protectors, aren't they?" When Danny nods emphatically, they all chuckle. "All right then, let's get going. We want to make sure we see everything before it closes, right?"

They start the walk up the path to the lighthouse. Roni is grateful that it's paved and has a railing to help her along. Mal and Rob walk behind them, just in case she needs one of them to take Danny. The closer they get to the building, the more Danny clings to her, and the faster her heart pounds. _It's just a damned building,_ she scolds herself. _You're the adult here, Manzana. Set a good example for your boy._ She takes a deep breath and continues on, feeling a brief chill when she passes the spot where she saw the young woman. 

The docents welcome their family to the lighthouse and explain the basics of the self-guided tour, including where the gift shop and restrooms are. They head downstairs to the gift shop area to watch the video about the lighthouse. It takes everything in her to keep from screaming when she hears the supposedly fictional story of the ghost that haunts this lighthouse, the girl named Muriel. She knows as surely as her heart is beating in her chest that the name is wrong and the legend is real, despite what the video says. Danny squirms in her lap, clutching her shirt tightly in his fingers, and she hums softly to help calm him as the video ends.

They take a quick glance around the gift shop to get ideas of what they might buy for souvenirs, then make their way back to the main floor to start the tour. Roni gets a chill as they pass under the staircase leading to the second floor, but shrugs it off as a product of the cross-breeze from both front and back doors being open. Mal takes several pictures along the main floor, clearly intrigued and getting some sort of inspiration for her future glasswork.

As they head up the stairs toward the second floor, she feels a stab to the base of her brain at the sight of the smaller curving staircase going up from the second floor. She wills the pain away, not wanting to ruin any more of this trip than she already has with her damned migraines and nightmares, and does her best to pay attention to the four rooms on the second floor. The décor appeals to her, gives her a sense of comfort, particularly the room just to the left of the curved staircase.

And then it's time to go up the final staircase to finish out the tour. Danny starts to squirm and begs for his father to hold him. Rob takes him instantly, softly reassuring him that the scary man from his nightmares isn't real, that his whole family is here and will keep him safe. Once he's calmed down, it's time to head up the stairs. Roni takes a deep breath and goes first, heart hammering in her throat with each step. Her head begins to ache, and she feels a bit dizzy, but she just grips the railing more tightly and keeps going. At the top of the stairs, she can see a small ladder leading up to what is obviously the light tower, but it's closed off. To her right is a window that looks out over the back building with the bathrooms, as well as the gardens and the ocean in the distance. Something about that window feels familiar, but she's not sure why.

To her left is a doorway midway on the short wall. The door is swung inward, and a sheet of Plexiglas keeps people from entering the room. She steps forward, lungs struggling for oxygen in the wake of her increasing anxiety about this place, but she does her best to stay calm for Danny's sake. Turning to look into the small room, she lets out a sudden shriek at the sight of a seated man in an old time naval outfit with a beard and dark, foreboding eyes that staring knowingly right through her. She stumbles back against Mal and the ladder as her fear ratchets higher. When she blinks back sudden tears and looks again, the man disappears and in his place is an androgynous, smooth-faced mannequin wearing what is apparently a lighthouse keeper's uniform at the time the light was still manned. The mannequin sits at a desk covered in books and papers. Behind it is a small twin bed, a dresser at its foot. But it's what's between the desk and the bed that truly makes the blood in her veins run cold. A small door, maybe three feet tall, that is partially ajar. She can _smell_ the rotting seaweed and instantly recognizes the door and where it leads, the sound of _his_ laughter and a very familiar scream echoing around her.

"Roni?" Mal's voice finally sinks in and distracts her from her fear. She's breathing heavily, just like she has after every one of those fucking nightmares. "Kitten, are you okay? You're white as a sheet."

"Get me out of here," she says raggedly. "I need air. Too cramped, too stuffy. I need to get outside."

" Okay. Come on, I'll help you down the stairs."

And then she notices that they're alone. "Where are Rob and Danny?"

"Already down here, love," Rob's voice floats up from below them. "Danny got scared when you shrieked, so we came down first."

She carefully, but quickly makes her way down the stairs. She pauses long enough to stroke Danny's hair and whisper that she's all right, then she continues on down to the first floor and out the door into the afternoon sunshine. They follow after her, and Rob guides her to a bench to sit down for a moment. Danny climbs into her lap and latches onto her.

"Shh, handsome, it's okay," she murmurs, rocking him gently. "I'm okay. You're okay. Nobody's going to hurt us, I promise."

"He's here," Danny whimpers again. "Help her, Roni. She's scared, too."

"Danny, what are you talking about?" Rob asks gently.

"Mariel, Papa. The bad man trapped her here and she just wants to go home to her papa."

Rob frowns and looks to Roni, who nods and holds Danny close. "We'll make sure she gets home to her papa, son. It's okay. We'll protect her."

"Yes, we will, handsome," Roni replies and offers him a soft smile.

Mal strokes his hair, then Roni's. "How about I go get us some souvenir postcards and stuff while you three head down to the car and find a picnic table for us to have our snacks?" When Danny grips her fingers tightly, she kisses his forehead. "I'll be just a couple minutes, I promise."

Danny nods, and Rob thanks Mal, but Roni is automatically on her feet and heading down the path with Danny. They both need to get as far away as they possibly can from that damned lighthouse and the ghosts that rule it. She can hear Rob running to catch up to them, but can feel another presence with them. That voice whispers _My name is Mariel. Help me, please._ She feels her heart leap into her throat again, tasting Mariel's fear as strongly as her own, but she nods slightly and continues on. She'll be damned if she breaks this promise to Danny _or_ to Mariel. That bastard that trapped Mariel and wants to trap her won't have either of them ever again.

_Don't count on it, girl._

His voice surrounds her, along with that stench of rotting corpses from her nightmare yesterday. She fights the urge to vomit, and moves faster toward the car and the safety that comes from the familiar sensation of asphalt beneath her feet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>   
>  [Source](http://discovernewport.com/content/newports-haunted-lighthouse/758)


	7. Possessed

When Mal joins them, bags in hand filled with their souvenirs, Roni can _instantly_ tell something is off. Her smile is wider than normal, and her eyes have a manic quality that Roni usually only associates with Mal's _Create or Die_ moods, but there's something different about it this time. It sets her teeth on edge, but she doesn't want to worry Danny in particular. She catches Rob's quirked brow over the top of Danny's head and offers a frown and the faintest of nods.

"Remember the whales we saw, fey boy?" Mal asks, looking through the bags.

"Yeah! They were so big!"

She pulls out a gray whale stuffed animal that's nearly as big as Danny's monkey. "He caught my eye and just wouldn't let me leave the store without him. He said he wanted to be your new friend."

Danny reaches out to stroke the soft plush, but he grips his monkey tighter in his other arm. "Does he got a name?"

"Does he _have_ a name, handsome," Roni says, automatically correcting him. She smiles when he giggles and nods.

"What she said."

He sounds so grown up when he says that, and she has to blink back sudden tears at the thought of her sweet little boy one day no longer being her little boy. Her chest aches, and she feels a soft touch to her hair, like the faintest of breezes, and hears _He will always be your little boy_. It unnerves her that Mariel can read her so well, but maybe that's a perk to being a ghost?

"Why don't you give me your monkey and you can hold your new whale friend and decide on his name?"

That odd glint is in Mal's eyes again, and Roni feels the stab of pain in the back of her skull again. _Oh hell no!_ As Mal reaches out to do the swap, Rob holds up a hand for the whale. "How about I hold the whale for you, son? That way you and your monkey can meet him together?"

There's a surge of that same dark anger she's always associated with _him_ in her nightmares, and she knows without a doubt what's happening, and that Rob clearly feels it, too. _Don't trust him_. She takes a deep breath, agreeing with Mariel's assessment, and only releases the breath when Mal purses her lips and hands the whale to Rob.

"You must be as hungry as Danny, Mal," Roni says, shoving one of the sandwiches across the table toward her. "Sit down and eat. I know how cranky you get sometimes when you forget to eat."

Mal eats, watching Danny play with the whale. Roni watches Mal closely, trying to figure out how to get _his_ influence away from her family. She refuses to lose them to some long dead bastard who won't just accept that he can't come back, no matter what he tries to do to accomplish it. For a bit, Mal seems like her old self, laughing and joking with their boys, tossing bits of bread to the gulls and crows. There's a sense of normalcy that she hasn't felt in over a month, and she fights the onslaught of tears.

"Roni," Danny says, pulling her from her thoughts, "Depoe wants you to give him a kiss." 

"Depoe?" she asks with a smile. "Is that his name? How did you decide on it?"

Danny's smile is incandescent in his excitement. "Papa said that's the name of the place we saw the whales, and my whale said that he likes that name, so that's what we decided on." He pauses and bites his bottom lip shyly, looking so much like his father, it hurts. "Is that okay?"

She strokes his cheek and kisses the tip of his nose. "I think it's a perfect name for him. And it'll always remind you of seeing the whales, won't it?" He nods and snuggles closer to her again. "Finish up your sandwich and chips, handsome, then maybe the four of us can go down and walk on the beach for a bit."

With a crow of excitement, Danny returns to his food easily enough. Rob chuckles and leans behind him a bit to nuzzle his nose against Roni's. "You should eat your sandwich, too, love," he says softly. "You're looking a bit peaked. Are you all right?"

"I hope so." She pauses, watching Mal get up and go to toss out her trash, then wander over to the observation area to look at the bridge to the east of them. "Do you notice anything odd about Mal or am I just being stupidly sensitive?"

"No, there's something off about her. It's like when she gets into her manic creative modes, but not exactly the same. I don't know how to explain it. And what was that whole thing about trying to get the monkey?"

She takes a deep breath. "I think _he_ is influencing her somehow. She wasn't like this before going back into the lighthouse to get souvenirs."

"Come on, Roni, you know she's not going to let anything like that happen. Mal's one of the toughest people we know. Nobody can overwhelm her like that."

"I know, but you've seen how Danny and I have both reacted to the nightmares that _he_ invades. Rob, my migraines have never been this bad for this long. You know that. Mal knows that. And Mariel--"

"Mariel? You mean she's real? Love, that was just a legend in a newspaper to get people to help save the lighthouse."

"It's real and she's here with us, Rob. She wants us to help her escape _him_ , to be free of this place. And I want to help her. If I can get her free, maybe I can free myself and Danny of the nightmares, too."

Rob studies her face for a moment, then turns to watch Mal as she walks back toward them. When he meets Roni's eyes again, she can see that he believes her. "What do you need me to do?"

"Keep Danny safe, no matter what, and _do not_ let him let go of his monkey. Mariel will help me with the rest."

"You're sure?"

"Positive," she says as Mal rejoins them. Rob smiles and kisses her gently before leaning back to run his fingers through Danny's hair. 

"All right, my boy, how goes your sandwich?"

"All gone, Papa, and my chips, too! I have a full tummy now."

Rob's grin is broad as he chuckles. "So I see! You ate as much as me, Danny! How did you manage that? Or did Fiery eat some for you?" He reaches over to tickle his fingers at both Danny and the monkey, making the boy laugh loudly.

"Papa! Fiery doesn't eat chips and sammiches! He eats bugs and icky green vegetables!"

Roni take the opportunity to study Mal as she settles on the other side of the picnic table and picks at her sandwich. "Something wrong with your food, Zmaj love?"

Mal shrugs and take a bite, chewing unenthusiastically and swallowing. "Guess I'm just not as hungry as I thought." She turns to study Rob and Danny for a moment, then turns back to smile at Roni. "Take a walk with me? I found the trail down to the beach and I want to dip my toes with you."

"But the leftovers?" she asks. 

"Danny and I have them, love," Rob says with a warm smile and a flash of something more in his eyes. "You two just point out the trail and head down to the water. We'll be just a moment or two behind you, I'm sure."

_Trust him._ Mariel's voice is soft, soothing. _The water will help you._

Roni smiles and nods. "All right, that sounds like a plan. Danny, you make sure Fiery stays with you to supervise, okay? And we'll be careful to make sure he doesn't get wet when you come stick your feet in the water." She kisses his forehead when he giggles and nods, then leans over to kiss Rob and whisper, "I love you. Keep our boy safe." When he nods, she stands and takes the hand Mal offers her. There's a faint stab of pain to her skull again, and she knows _he_ is still keeping some sort of hold on her lover. "Let's go, Mal. I feel like losing feeling in my toes."

They all laugh at that, and Roni lets Mal lead her across the parking lot and down the path to the beach. The scent of rotting seaweed starts to assail her nostrils, and she wants to retch, but she doesn't. She studies Mal's profile as they walk side by side to the water, oddly comforted by the familiar features that she's known and cherished for nearly twenty-five years now. She can't lose Mal. She can't lose Rob or Danny either, but Mal knows more about her than anyone else in the world. Mal kept her sane in the aftermath of her parents' deaths.

"You're awfully quiet, dear," Mal says, voice pitched in a deeper tone than she's used to. "Corpse got your tongue?"

It's like being doused in an ice bath. " _You_ ," she growls softly. "Let her go. She's not what you want."

"No, but she'll do nicely. The boy would be better, so many more years I could spend walking the earth in his body, but you and that damned guardian monkey of his keep thwarting my plans."

_The necklace._ Mariel's voice is loud in her ear, and she swears she can feel a hand resting on her shoulder. _It's his power source. Get it and run out to the end of the jetty and throw it in the water! Free us all of his presence._

Roni takes a deep breath and turns to study Mal's face. "You don't understand, do you? You can't beat us. We have love, and that is the most powerful force in all of nature."

Mal's face contorts into a mask of rage at her words. "If your love is so powerful, how am I able to control this one? I could run her out into the surf and let her drown. Will your love stop that?"

_Do it!_

In the space between one breath and the next, Roni hears Rob and Danny in the distance, coming closer to them, and she makes a decision. Her hand shoots out to grab the silver chain with a small, simple pendant of a generic lighthouse. The chain snaps easily, as if it doesn't want to be around Mal's neck. Tightening her fist around it, Roni lands a right hook to Mal's chin and takes off toward the jetty. She doesn't even wait for confirmation that Mal goes down.

"Sunny!" Danny calls, but she doesn't stop.

Mariel's voice is chanting in her ear as she runs, encouraging her to keep going. Her lungs burn from the exertion of trying to pull in enough oxygen to offset running through sand before she hits the rocks of the jetty. The path is no less dangerous, but somehow it's easier to run among the rocks. When she goes as far as she can on the jetty, she glances down at the pendant. "Go to hell, you fucking bastard!" she growls. "Leave me, my family, and Mariel alone. Let the gods of the deep drag you down to where you can never escape."

She takes a deep breath, pulls her arm back, and lets the pendant fly in a throw that her _papi_ would be proud of. She follows the glint of sun on the metal as it sails out over the water until it drops in with a far bigger splash than warranted. A loud scream of rage comes racing toward her from that spot, diminishing in intensity until it's no more than a stiff breeze buffeting against her.

_He's gone for now._

She glances to her left and can just make out the image of that young woman she'd seen earlier. "For now? Not for good?"

_Only time will tell. But he'll no longer bother you and your family. You are free to return to the lighthouse without consequences._

She can hear her family calling for her, but she can't leave quite yet. "And what of you?"

_When I am ready, I will move on to where I need to be. I cannot thank you enough._

Roni smiles. "Knowing that you're no longer trapped and that my family is safe is thanks enough. Rest well, Mariel."

_Live well._

And then, she's gone. Roni feels the lightness in her heart when Mariel disappears. Tears threaten to fall, and she kneels down for a brief moment to try to get her emotions under control again. Reaching down, she sees a beautiful piece of rough Oregon jade in front of her. Picking it up, she presses it to her lips, then tucks it in her pocket. "Goodbye, Mariel. Thank you."

Taking a deep breath, Roni gets to her feet and turns around to head back down the jetty to where her family is huddled together. Within half a dozen steps, she's racing back, needing to feel them surrounding her physically and emotionally. Her head is pounding and she feels utterly faint by the time she gets to them, collapsing to her knees in the sand to pant harshly and vomit up her lunch, along with something that looks vaguely like partially digested seaweed. Her arms tremble when she finishes, tears falling down her face again, and she falls sideways into Mal's arms.

"M-Mal?"

"Shh, Kitten, I've got you now."

Roni clings to her, sobbing and whispering _I'm sorry_ over and over again. She barely notices it when Rob and Danny join in on the hug until Fiery is pressed tightly to her chest, Danny's little warm body on its other side. With time, her sobs die down to whimpered cries and sniffles.

"Kitten? Can you hear me? Let me see those gorgeous eyes of yours and know you're back with us."

It takes a few seconds to get her body to comply, but she tilts her head up to take in Mal's worried gaze and the bruise forming under the cut in her bottom lip. "Oh god, Mal, I'm so--"

"Don't you _dare_ apologize, Roni Manzana. You saved all of us. The bruise and the cut will heal. Who knows? Maybe I'll get my own sexy scar like yours?"

That makes Roni splutter with laughter and stroke Mal's cheek. "You're not mad?"

"Do you think I _wanted_ to hurt any of you like that? I understand now why you hated being trapped in your nightmares with him. We'll be okay, Kitten, all of us. Right now, I'm more worried about how you're doing. Did he do anything to you out there?"

She shakes her head. "Nothing I couldn't handle."

"Roni?" Danny asks timidly. "Is the scary man gone?"

"Yes, he is, Danny," she replies, kissing his forehead. "He's very deep in the ocean in a place where he can't come back and hurt us ever again."

"What about Mariel?"

Roni glances out at the jetty, a sensation of peace settling over her. "Because the scary man is gone, she can go be reunited with her papa now. We did it, handsome, we saved her and helped her get back to her papa."

He smiles and yawns, snuggling closer to her with another yawn. "Good. Fiery was worried." 

"I think that's a good sign that we should head back to our hotel and just rest for a while," Rob says with a soft smile. "Fiery and Depoe need a little time to get to know one another, and Roni needs to maybe take her meds and have a nap." When Roni starts to protest, he shakes his head. "Not the heavy duty ones unless you need them. And we're not leaving you alone and unprotected ever again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for taking this journey with me. This hasn't been an easy tale for me to tell, even with the major adjustments I made in places to suit the story, rather than the reality, but I'm glad I was able to write it. 
> 
> There will be another oneshot at some point down the line, a bit of an epilogue, so to speak. There's something left to do but not yet.


End file.
